Lifeboat



March 25, 1.930.

c. c. CLIFFORD 1,752,663

LIFEBOAT Filed April 6, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l March 25, 1930. c. c. CLIFFORD LIFEBOAT Filed April 6, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet orc?,

ATTORNEY lIVlaurh 25, 1930. c. c. CLIFFORD 1,752,063

LIFEBOAT Filed April 6, 1929 3 sheets-sheet 3 40 a @5d 6, Y

40 25 f\ 5' h 44 5f a5 d 5% 5/ NVENTOR ATTRNEY 'Patented Mar. 25, `193e 1 Irap PATENT oFFicE LIFEBOAT Application led April 6, 1929. Serial No. 353,070.`

The invention primarily has for its object to provide a novel form of life boat adaptable for use upon any seagoing vessel in parts because of its having qualities of being selfpropelled, of providing complete shelter of its occupants from the elements,and of being non-capsizable, but which is particularly adapted for use upon submarines, there being means provided for transferring persons y, from the interior of a sunken submarine upon which it is mounted into the said life boat to enable their being carried in safety to the surface of the sea.

In its more detailed nature the invention resides in the provision of a wholly closed life boat having therein means to enable navigation under its own power, means also being provided for rendering the boat substantially non-capsizable.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for securing the life boatupon a submarine in a manner for enabling quick release of the life boat from its mounting by occupants within the life boat, novel hatch equipments being provided through which occupants of the submarine may be transferred into the life boat.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means cooperatively associated with the life boat mounting means for sealing the hatchways against water leakage and for providing a transfer passage between the interiors of the life boat and the submarine.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in the following detailed description, then be particularly pointed out in t-he appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic longi- 'of reference indicate like parts in all of the tudinal section of my improved lifev boat, s0 much of a submarine being shown as is necessary to illustrate the mounting thereof.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2 2 on Figure l. 0

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken on the line 3 3 on Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken on the line 4 4 on Figure l.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section taken 5,. through the hatchway, both hatch covers being shown in place. l y

Figure 6 is an inverted plan view illustrating the life boat bottom hatch covers secured in position on its seat ring.

Figure 7,1`s a detail vertical cross section showing the life boat securing and jack nut released from the securing screw.

In the drawings, in which like numerals 5 figures, l designates the upper wall of a submarine, it being understood that while the invention may be used on any seagoing vessel it is particularly adaptable touse on submarines, and provides a means whereby the crew trapped in the vessel resting on the floor of the ocean may readily malte their escape to safety. The life boat is generally designated by the numeral 2 and it will be observed by reference to Figures l1 and 2 of the drawings that the same is in the nature of a'wholly closed stream line body that will offer little resistance to travel through the water and which will afford full protection to its 0ccupants from the elements.

The life boat 2 is provided with battery and motor equipment of any suitable design, generally designated 3 and serving to drive the propeller 4 to enable navigation of the same. The customary vertical rudder 5 is provided and in addition an elevating fin or rudder 6 is provided to facilitate rising oi the life boat to the surface of the sea when regg.

v trat-e the life boat. .The dome is closed a hatch 10 of any 'suitable construction and which is' 1preferably hinged to the said dome to prevent loss. It should be understood thatthe craft 2 may be employed on seagoing surface vessels and in this event the loading and unloading of passengers is occasioned through the hatch lO and vdome 8.

Two or more tanks 11 are suspended from I the .ceiling of the craftv 2 in the manner and position illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings and these tanks are preferablyV lled'with a lighter-than-air gas. By reason of positioning the heavy motor or engine and batteries' in the bottom of the craft and the tanks in the elevated position shown, the craft is caused to have a peculiarlylow cen terof gravity such as will cause it to ride easily and safely in rough seas. This equip-l ment also renders -it practically impossible to capsize the boat either during launching from the submarine or a surface vessel or during travel in very rough seas. AThe provision ofthe tanks 11 also serve to eatly facilitate the rising of the craft to t e surface when released from'V afsunken submarine.

One or more oxygen tanks 12 may also be mounted in the'craft 2 to sustain the crew housed within the craft until-the saidy craft has safelyrisen tothe surface of the sea when fresh air can be admitted through the hatch 10 with which 'the' look-out dome 8 is equipped.

cured in any suitable manner upon the deck of the submarine as indicated inFigures 1 and 4 of the drawings,`and at a considerable distance forward of the position of the keeper 13 a vertical screw shank 14 is piv.-

otally mounted as at 15 upon the said sub marine deck. The members 13 and 14 serve as part of the means for releasablysecuring abutment or bearing boss 19, see Figure 3. e

A turning stem 20 projects from the top of the bracket and is rotatable in the gland, and the said stem carries a handle wheel 21 at its upper end and a screw socketed head 22 at its lower end which is rotatable but held against longitudinal movement between the bearing boss 19 and the bearing shoulder 23 provided in the upper end of the bracket, Obviously, as the hand wheel 21 is rotated Vthe screw 14 will be caused to move upwardly or downwardly into or out of the screw socket and head 22.

A stepped finger 13a is secured to the bottom ofthe life boat 2 and extends rearwardly inv spaced relation to the said bottom to normally seat in the U-shaped keeper 13 in the manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings. More about this connection will be said later.

A seat ring 24 is secured on the upper face ofthe submarine deck 1 in anyapproved manner and the said ring is equipped with a suitable gasket 25 and an upstanding iange 26.' The upper faceof the gasket 25 is preferably covered with graphite to prevent sticking. A sealing ring 27 of a diameter for seating upon the gasket 25 is secured'in any approved manner to ldepend from the bottom. surface'of the life boat and this ring 27 andthe ring 24 are preferably formed ofnon-corrosive metal.

When the parts 13 13EL are positioned in association as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings and the bracket 16 and screw 14 roperly associated as shown in the same v gure. as the hand wheel 21 is turned clockwise the screw shank will'be drawn up into the socketed head 22 and the said ring 24 and sealing ring'27 will be forced into tight said figure and in Figure 5. Thusthe life boat is not only effectively secured upon the submarine deck but the rings are securely clamped to prevent leakage into the passage formed within their annular limits. On the f e, other hand when the'hand wheel 21 is rotated An inverted U-shaped keeper 13 is se!l counterclockwise the screw 14 will be forcibly expelled from the head 22, the parts thus acting as a jack, and the rings 24 and 27 will be forced apart so that when power is applied to the propeller 4 the finger 13 may freely ride out of the keeper 13 so that the craft can rideto the surface in a direction forwardly and upwardly.

Cradles 28 are also secured, as at 29, upon the deck of the submarine and, as will be observed by reference to'Figure 2 of the drawings, are of inverted U-shape to receive the life boat 2 in conjunction with the securing means above described and further serve to hold the same in proper position upon the submarine deck against the strains set up4 by travel through the water.

Within the ring 24 the submarine deck is provided with an opening 30 which is reinforced by a ring 31 secured, in any suitable manner, to the deck and a similar but larger' opening 32 is likewise provided in the life boat ioor and is reinforced by a ring 33 suitably secured to the life boat floor. Each of the rings are provided with a bevel clamp face 34 and each serves as a mounting or seat l for a removable hatch cover 35 which may be operating shaft 39 is rotatably mounted.

rEach shaft carries a hand wheel 40 at its upper and lower ends so that one hand wheel is disposed above and one below each said cover. 41 to each point of which the inner end of ashifter arm 42 is pivoted, each said arm passing through a guide bearing 43 dependlng from the hatch cover and belng equipped with a cam head 44 having a bevel face for clamping engagement with the clamping face 34 of the reinforce and seating rings 31 and 33.

Thus when any one of the hand Wheels 40 is rotated in one direction it `will bring about retraction of the clamping fingers 42-44 and when rotated in the opposite direction will proj ect the fingers to the active position clearly illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings.

f desired the life boat 2 may be equipped adjacent its water line with longitudinal hold rods 45 to which survivors of a disabled ship floundering about in the water may readily cling While awaiting assistance from within the craft.

In use, the life boat is secured upon the submarine in the manner illustrated in Figures l and 2' of the drawings, and the upper or life boat hatch cover 35 is preferably removed as illustrated in dotted lines in the said Figure l. The hatch cover l0 of the look-out dome 8 is securely closed and the interior of the life boat is, of course, secured against water leakage by reason of the clamping relation of the ring 24 and 27.

Should an emergency exist wherein a subocean floor it is only necessary to properly manipulate the lowermost hand wheel 40 to release the lower or submarine hatch cover 35 so that it can be forced u wardly through the opening in the bottom o the life boat and into the interior of the life boat to open a clear-through hatchway or passage from the interior of the submarine into the interior of the life boat. After the crew has been safely removed the submarine hatch cover may again be aiiixed to position by manipulation Each shaft also carries a star wheel of its uppermost hand wheel so that after leaving the submarine it may be sealed against water leakage and resulting damage prior to salvaging.

By now securing the life boat hatch cover to position by manipulation of its uppermost hand wheel the bottom opening of the life boatmay be secured against water leakage. By now manipulating the hand wheel 21 in the manner hereinbefore described the life boat may be forcibly released from its securing means upon the submarine deck and by proper'manipulation of the rudder 6 and the applicationnofpower to the propeller 4, the said craft may be safely driven to the surface and thereafter safely navigate until other assistance is afforded.

From the foregoing description, taken in `connection with the accompanying draw ings, it is thought that the novel details of construction, the manner of use and the advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art to which it relates.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a submarine boat, of 'a life boat comprising a streamline normally closed body, a hatch by which access may be had to the interior of the body, hatches by which communication may be had between the boats, means to mount the life boat on the submarine boat with the hatches in associated relation, said last named means comprising a finger and eye connection toward the stern of the life boat and a jack screw toward the bow of the life boat.

2. The combination with a submarine boat, of a life boat comprising a streamline normally closed body, a hatch by which access may be had to the interior of thebody, hatches by which communication may be had between the boats, means to mount the life boat on the submarine boat with the hatches in associated relation, said last named means comprising a b h' h marine was disabled and `resting upon thd YW 1C Commumcatlon may be had between the boats, means to mount the life boat on the submarine boat with the hatches in associated relation, cooperating sealing rings surrounding said communication-effecting hatches, said last named means comprising a linger and eye connection toward the stern of the life boat and ajack screw toward the bow of the life boat, said jack screw being releasable from within the life boat,'and so constructed and arranged as to be active in one direction to force the sealing rings to- 4 rfrezpee gether and in another direction to force them apart.

4. En a structure of the character cescrifocd wherein is provided a hatchway, e ring in the hetchway and having a clampin face, a hatch cover having a rotatable shat extending through it and be ond each side thereof, means on each end of t e shaft to impart rotation thereto, a star Wheel on the shaft, a plurality o-ock ngers each pivoted et its inner end to a point of the star wheel and each having at its outer end. a clamp head to engage or dsengage the clamping face of the hatch cover according to the direction in which the E q shaft is rotated, and bearings for the said lock l ngere HARLES C. CLFFORD. 

